The Cleveland Browns lost their best offensive player early in the year last season.
Following a gruesome hit, Nick Chubb suffered a major injury, and he was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the year.
Of course, that put his availability for the start of the upcoming campaign in question.
And even though there have been positive reports about his recovery, that still hasn’t changed that much.
That’s why NFL insider Jim Donovan doesn’t think he’s going to be ready to suit up for Week 1.
Talking to Aaron Goldhammer on ESPN Cleveland, he would be very surprised — and very glad — if Chubb is ready and back to full strength for the start of the season.
This is the second major knee injury of Chubb’s career dating back to his days in college.
He was once considered to be one of the best — if not the best — running backs in the league, single-handedly leading the Browns’ subpar offense when their quarterback situation was far from ideal.
Chubb is a fan favorite and the team decided to hold onto him through thick and thin despite having an opportunity to move on from him in the offseason, so his presence there will have a big impact.
Hopefully, he’ll be able to be the same caliber of player he was before this major injury.
But judging by this injury and the fact that he might not be ready for the start of the season, it might take him a while to get back to his usual level — if ever.